This is Steven Osgood’s sixth season as General and Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Opera Company. During his tenure the company has reconfigured its season schedule to include longer runs of selected productions, chamber operas, and a Festival Week to celebrate the 90th anniversary season in 2019. Contemporary music has become a staple of Chautauqua Opera Company’s repertoire each season. The Composer-in-Residence position which was created in 2016 has been expanded this season to include two Composer Fellows.  

Steven has conducted the world premieres of over 20 operas, including in recent seasons Breaking the Waves at Opera Philadelphia, JFK at Fort Worth Opera, The Scarlet Ibis, Thumbprint, Blood Moon, and Sumeida’s Song for the PROTOTYPE festival, as well as Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar with Beth Morrison Projects. He has been conductor mentor on two occasions for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative, leading the premieres of six new operas.

From 2001 to 2008 Steven was Artistic Director of American Opera Projects, where he conducted numerous developmental workshops. He founded the company’s internationally recognized Composers and the Voice Fellowship and remains the program’s Artistic Director. He conducted the premieres of As One in its sold-out run at BAM, and Paula Kimper’s Patience and Sarah at the 1998 Lincoln Center Festival. 

In March 2020 Steven was in preview performances at Lincoln Center Theatre for the world premiere of Intimate Apparel by Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage, based on her play of the same name. The production was put on hold when Broadway closed for the pandemic and is slated to return for its official opening and extended run January through March 2022.